Characteristics and the appearance of new whale sharks ...
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Characteristics and the appearance of new whale
sharks (Rhincodon typus) as a unique phenomenon
in the Kwatisore waters within the Cenderawasih
Bay National Park area, Papua Yan Maruanaya1, Alex Soleman Willem Retraubun2, Samuel Frederik Tuhumury2 and James Abrahamsz2
1Doctoral Program in Marine Science Study Program, Uiversitas Pattimura, Indonesia. 2Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Universitas Pattimura, Indonesia. *Corresponding author: [email protected]
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Keywords:
Appearance; New Individualensity;
Whale shark;
How to cite:
Maruanaya, Y., Retraubun,
A.S.W., Tuhumury, S. F., &
Abrahamsz, J. (2021).
Characteristics and the
appearance of new whale
sharks (Rhincodon typus) as
a unique phenomenon in the
Kwatisore waters within the
Cenderawasih Bay National
Park area, Papua. Tomini
Journal of Aquatic Science,
2(1), 24–40.
Research on whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) was conducted from
September 1st to December 20th, 2020 in Kwatisore waters. Kwatisore waters are within the conservation area of the Cenderawasih Bay National Park and have specifications for the number of whale sharks and the appearance of new individuals. The appearance of whale sharks individuals takes place every day around the boat life net area that is anchored in Kwatisore waters.
This study aims to assess whale shark aggregation, particularly the total appearances and number of individual appearances in eight boat life net units. The number of appearances and the number of individual whale sharks is very dependent on the catch of anchovies by each boat life net unit and the feed of anchovies given by the fishermen. The results showed that there were 499 appearances of whale sharks consisting of 15 individuals, of which 13 individuals
were identified, while 2 were new individuals who had not been identified. The new individual for ID 182 is named Yan Maruanaya
and ID 183 is named Bram Maruanaya. The percentage of whale sharks appears during the period of September to December 2020 is 100% male with a length of 3 to 6 m.
INTRODUCTION
The whale shark is one of the largest fish species in the shark group and is a rare species and
has different biological characteristics from other shark groups. Whale sharks have inherited
characteristics, such as large size, slow growth and sexual maturity, long life, susceptive to
exploitation and live in tropical and warm seas (Colman, 1997). Whale sharks are included in
the Chondrichtyes Class, Elasmobranchii Sub-class, Orectolobiformes Order, and the
Rhincodontidae Family, Rhincodon Genus and Rhincodon typus Smith species, 1829.
Rhincodon typus is referred as a whale shark because of its huge size compared to other shark
Tomini Journal of Aquatic Science, Vol 2(1): 24–40, May 2021
Received: 2021-03-10; Accepted: 2021-05-17
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species and its similar blunt head shape like a whale. Whale sharks have a broad and flattened
head, large gill lines and first dorsal and a pattern of white dots and lines on their skin that
tend to be greyish (Casandra, 2014; Compagno, 2002). This animal has a fairly high visual
ability and pelagic habitat (Colman, 1997). Whale sharks are a species that migrates from
protected areas to endangered areas (Sequeira et al., 2012). They have a circum-global
spreading, so regional studies are needed to determine the global habitat of whale shark
populations (McKinney et al., 2012).
The pattern of white dots on the body of a whale shark is unique because individuals have
different patterns of spots so that it is used as basis in identifying an individual in the whale
shark community (Casandra, 2014; Colman, 1997; Speed et al., 2007). The appearance of
whale sharks in Indonesian waters occurs in several places and is seasonal, while in the waters
of Kwatisore, which is in the conservation area of the Cenderawasih Bay National Park. This
park is located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean so that it is rich in diversity of natural
resources (Ben Gurion & Anwar, 2017). The appearance of whale sharks in Kwatisore waters
occurs every day and takes place throughout the year so that it is a unique phenomenon and
can be developed into a whale shark attraction for marine tourism destinations (Ben Gurion &
Anwar, 2017; Toha, Anwar, et al., 2019; Zuzy & Saputra, 2017).
The emergence of whale sharks is related to the availability of anchovies (Stolephorus sp.), so
it makes Kwatisore waters as a feeding area for whale sharks and main habitat throughout the
year (Casandra, 2014; Enita et al., 2017). Estimates of the environmental services of whale
sharks and the economic value of fisheries at Cenderawasih Bay National Park can be as high
as Rp. 35.5 trillion (Zuzy & Saputra, 2017). Meanwhile in Taiwan, diving to see whale sharks
costs US $ 3,900 - US $ 4,000 (Cruz et al., 2013).The existence of whale sharks is increasingly
rare and includes endangered species, due to anthropogenic impacts that include fishing so
that CITES and CMS include whale sharks in appendix 1 and 2 lists (Marsaoly, et.al., 2014).
Therefore, there must be agreements between countries that mutually acknowledge the
coordination management and joint assessment of migratory populations of whale sharks
because they have wide-range migration area (Rowat, 2007).
In Indonesia, whale sharks are assigned full protection status through the Decree of the
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia Number 18/KEMEN-
KP/2013 concening the Determination of Full Protection Status for Whale Sharks (Rhincodon
typus). The protection status of the whale shark is an important tool in every conservation
policy and planning so as to avoid the risk of extinction.The appearance of individual whale
sharks in Kwatisore waters, both identified and new individuals and their behaviour patterns
that appear on the surface every day and stay throughout the year require serious attention in
the management of the national park and build local community participation so that the
appearance of whale sharks is an important prospect for development. Whale shark ecotourism
based on indigenous peoples, thus providing added value for the improvement of the local
community's economy.
The aim of this research is to study the whale shark aggregation, especially the total number
of appearances and the number of individuals around the boat life net area anchored in
Kwatisore waters. The appearance of whale sharks based on the number of individuals is
important information in recording the total number of individuals who live and migrate for the
period each year in Kwatisore waters.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Study site. The whale shark aggregation research was carried out in Kwatisore waters, where
the Kwatisore waters as a whole are within the Cenderawasih Bay National Park conservation
area. The research location only focused on Kwatisore waters because whale sharks only
appear in these waters. Data on the rise of whale sharks were taken from September 1st to
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December 20th, 2020, on eight boat life nets anchored in Kwatisore waters. The map of the
research location is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Study site. Cenderawasih Bay National Park map and research location in Kwatisore waters.
Number of whale shark appearances. To determine the number of whale shark
appearances, records of the time of appearance of the whale sharks are recorded in the
morning, afternoon and evening around the boat life nets which is anchored in Kwatisore
waters. The recording was carried out using a guidebook which was divided among the
fishermen in 8 units of boat life nets. Meanwhile, to assess the presence of individual whale
sharks, a photo identification technique (Photo ID) was carried out on all of them that
appeared using the Cannon G-12 underwater camera. The coordinates of the location of the
boat life nets that are anchored in Kwatisore waters are using the Garmin GPSmap 62s.
Data Collection Technique. The recording of the appearance of whale sharks on the surface
of the water is carried out on boat life nets that are scattered in Kwatisore waters, especially
when the whale shark rises to consume food around the boat life nets. The recording was done
manually, by record the number of whale sharks that appeared and circled around the boat life
nets in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Individualal identification. The identification of individual whale sharks is carried out based
on the pattern of white spots on the body of the whale shark, where the pattern of white spots
differs between individuals. The individual photographic identification (Photo ID) technique of
whale sharks is carried out in the following ways (Casandra & Noor, 2014):
a. The left side of the last gill or fifth gill to the tip of the pectoral fin (pectoral fin).
b. The right side of the last gill or fifth gill to the tip of the pectoral fin (pectoral fin).
Figure 2. ID Photo Technique
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Furthermore, each individual whale shark Photo ID is identified using a technique, which is
transferred to the "Intelligent Individual Identification System Version 2.0" (I3Sv2) software.
The nformation about marks, scars, size and sex is needed to determine the condition of the
whale shark (Macena & Hazin, 2016).
Population characteristic of whale shark. The population characteristics of the whale shark
are limited to size and sex. The whale shark size is determined by comparing the size of the
whale shark with body size, namely by swimming parallel to the whale shark and estimating its
size. While the sex of the whale shark was observed visually, by looking directly at the clasper
(male anatomy structure) which extends as much as two which are located near the anal fin,
while female whale shark does not have a clasper. The shape of the clasper is shown in Figure
3.
Figure 3. Clasper form
Data analysis
Spatial analysis. The daily movement of whale sharks in each different boat life nets shows
the movement of whale sharks locally. Each whale shark coordinates that appears or rises on
the surface of each boat life nets is recorded using GPS (Global Positioning System). The
spatial analysis was carried out using the coordinate data of the appearance of the whale
sharks at the time of the study so that the distribution of the whale sharks in Kwatisore waters
could be mapped.
Population characteristic of whale shark. The percentage distribution of the size of whale
sharks that has been identified is then calculated using a formula according to (Casandra &
Noor, 2014) and (Didi et al., 2015):
%N =
Explanation as follow:
%N : Percentage of whale sharks in length of i meter
ni : The number of whale sharks with a length of i meter
N : Total number of identified whale sharks
Meanwhile, to assess the percentage of sex (male and female) whale sharks that have been
identified, it is calculated using a formula according to (Casandra & Noor, 2014) and (Didi et
al., 2015):
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%J =
%B =
Explanation as follow:
J : Percentage of male whale sharks
ni : The number of male whale sharks
%B : Percentage of female whale sharks
nb : Number of female whale sharks
N : Total number of identified whale shark
The relationship between the presence of the whale shark and the time it appeared.
To determine the relationship between the presence of whale sharks at morning, noon and
night with the month of observation, a Chi-square test was carried out based on contingency
analysis, then calculated χ2 counts and compared with χ2 tables (Sudjana, 1996; Tiro, 1999)
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Whale Shark in the Perception of Local People Kwatisore. Kwatisore is administratively
located in Nabire Regency, where Kwatisore waters are part of the Cendrawasih Bay National
Park area which has an area of only 380,920 ha or 26% of the total area of this National Park.
The indigenous people who live in Kwatisore Village call the whale sharks in their local
language as Hiniotanibre fish. Hinotanibre has the meaning of "Sea Ghost" because it is very
large and appears suddenly. The indigenous people think that if they go to sea to catch fish
and find the hiniotanibre fish, it will bring bad luck so that people choose to cancel fishing and
return to their villages. The belief of indigenous people in whale sharks as Hinotanibre or sea
ghosts which then make the community activities to not catch or disturb whale sharks so they
are protected from anthropogenic activities. The view of the whale shark as a sea ghost has an
important meaning in protecting species or individuals so that their existence is preserved in
Kwatisore waters.
Whale Shark Appearance. The daily appearance of whale sharks in Kwatisore waters is
closely related to feeding activities. The appearance of whale sharks is concentrated in boat life
nets because during the fishing process per day, it catches fishes and mostly the anchovies
(Stolephorus sp.). After being caught, anchovies are usually placed in a container made of net
in size of 4 x 3 meter and kept alive. Keeping them alive is an attraction that makes the whale
sharks appear every day and go around even hit the net contain of anchovies with its snout.
Research studies on the appearance of whale sharks in the boat life nets area of Kwatisore
waters show an increase in the number of appearance and also the new individuals. The daily
appearance of whale sharks in Kwatisore waters is closely related to the catch of anchovy and
the feed of anchovies given by the fishermen. Whale sharks appear in waters because they are
attracted by the concentration of pelagic fish (Stewart, 2013). The whale sharks individual eat
anchovies (Engraulis australis) in a vertical position near Whale Island, in New Zealand's Plenty
Bay (Duffy, 2002). Whale sharks are a susceptible species; therefore the insight of their
habitat is required in planning and managing their behaviour effectively (McKinney et al.,
2012).
The number of whale sharks indicates that there are new individuals every year in Kwatisore
waters. (Toha, Anwar, et al., 2019) explained that from 2011 to August 2018 the total number
of whale sharks individual that identified in Kwatisore waters were 179 individuals.
Furthermore, the study of Toha et al., (2018) and Toha et al., (2019) showed the addition of
30 new individuals. Meanwhile, the monitoring results of the Nabire 1 Region National Park
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Management Division reported that in September 2020 a new individual was found. Whale
sharks from Ningaloo Reff, Western Australia migrate horizontally and enter Indonesian waters
(Wilson et al., 2006).
The increasing frequency of whale sharks appearance in Kwatisore waters is due to increased
catches of anchovy Yasmina et al., (2017). The whale shark individuals that appear on each
boat life nets are individuals who have been identified as regular inhabitant in Kwatisore
waters. This shows that the whale shark individuals inhabit the Kwatisore waters as their
permanent habitat. The appearance of whale sharks in Kwatisore waters shows the number of
individuals is more than one and as a form of aggregation Maulida et al., (2018). Whale sharks
appear in the waters because they are attracted by the concentration of pelagic fish.
Meanwhile, the migration pattern of whale sharks is related to ecological aspects, especially
filtering food (Pedro et al., 2014; Stewart, 2013). Whale shark aggregation in the Gulf of
Mexico occurred during the minimal chlorophyll with a concentration of 0.18 mg m-3, but in
2009 it was around 10.75 mg m-3 and in 2009 it was around 5.04 mg m-3 McKinney et al.,
(2012). Furthermore, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) can be used to predict the probability of
whale sharks existence Pedro et al., (2014). The presence of whale sharks in the Archipelago
of São Pedro and São Paulo (ASPSP) is related to the abundance of plankton and They are
making the ASPSP as a feeding area during migration in oceanic waters Macena & Hazin,
(2016).
The Existence of whale sharks in Kwatisore waters with a year-round or very long settling time
indicates that Kwatisore waters are a habitat for whale sharks due to the availability of
abundant food. The appearance of whale sharks in Kwatisore waters is due to the availability
of anchovy which is one of the main food, where the abundance of anchovy catch is due to
both species having a preference for the same feeds, while the reduced number of boat life
nets and anchovies causes less appearance of whale sharks (Prihadi et al., 2017; Yasmina et
al., 2017). Wind direction parameters, currents and chlorophyll A have a significant correlation
with the appearance of whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay because they are thought to be
related to food abundance Ardania et al., (2018).
The whale sharks in Kwatisore waters are unique because they migrate to international waters
outside of Indonesia's territory and return to Kwatisore waters. The installation of IWRM as
satellite markers on six whale shark individuals in Kwatisore waters from May 2011 to June
2012 shows that whale sharks swam out of Kwatisore waters to waters east of the Philippines
and returned to Kwatisore waters (Stewart, 2013). Whale sharks are classified as a fish with
long migration distance pattern (Froese & Pauly, 2006) and return to their habitat areas after
several years (Robinson et al., 2017). The appearance of whale sharks in East and South Africa
in coastal areas has the period from October and November to May (Rowat, 2007). Meanwhile
in Taiwan, the whale shark season occurs from March to June (Cruz et al., 2013).
In general, the appearance of whale sharks in eight boat life nets units indicates a local
distribution, which is within a day the same individual of whale shark can appear in one unit of
boat life net but can also move to another unit. The local distribution of whale sharks is very
dependent on the availability of the anchovies stored in the net containers and the activities of
fishermen in boat life nets who provide or dispose of anchovy as food for consumption by the
whale sharks. It is indicated that whale sharks in Kwatisore waters swim at a depth of 100-200
m and sometimes reach a depth of 1,800 m (Toha et al., 2018). The appearance of whale
sharks is shown in Figure 4, while the feeding of anchovies by fishermen and the feeding
behaviour of whale sharks are shown in Figure 5 and position of whale shark appearance in
Figure 6.
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Figure 4. The appearance of whale shark in the boat life nets
Figure 5. (a) Whale sharks feeding anchovy by fishermen, (b) Whale shark mouth opening, and (c) whale shark vertical position when consuming anchovies
In consuming the anchovies that given by the fishermen the whale sharks eat in a vertical position and pull the food in (Figure 5c). The catch of anchovies greatly determines the number of whale sharks appearances. The more anchovies catch, the more whale sharks appear, with a very long time spent in the Boat life net area. In general, the presence of whale sharks in the boat life nets area shows a different number of appearances between each unit with different duration of hours spent in the area. The length of the whale shark in an area of boat life nets highly depends on the catch of anchovies and the feeds of anchovy by fishermen to
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the whale sharks. The number of whales occurring in the boat life nets area based on the month of observation and the duration of survival time in the boat life nets area is shown in Table 1 and Figure 7.
Figure 6. Position of whale shark appearance
Table 1. Amount of whale shark appearance based on month observation and duration
Boat life nets unit
name Coordinate Month
Number of
Whale Sharks
(Appearances)
Duration
1 2 3 4 5
Cahaya Pinrang 1 S 030 15’ 49,88”
E 1350 02’ 3,76”
September 15 3 to 18 hour
October 14 1 to 20 hour
November 20 4 to 15 hour
December 15 3 to 10 hour
Cahaya Pinrang 2 S 030 17’ 37,33”
E 1350 00’ 0,80”
September 12 1 to 17 hour
October 20 2 to 26 hour
November 11 4 to 18 hour
December 18 3 to 10 hour
Cahaya 55 S 030 18’ 25,61”
E 1340 5’ 46,73”
September 21 2 to 18 hour
October 12 1 to 16 hour
November 22 5 to 20 hour
December 19 3 to 14 hour
Cahaya Riski S 030 18’ 24,11”
E 1350 00’ 8,31”
September 16 5 to 9 hour
October 14 4 to 13 hour
November 19 6 to 14 hour
December 15 4 to 16 hour
Cahaya Ipa S 030 17’ 16,23”
E 1340 95’ 6,36”
September 10 2 to 11 hour
October 11 3 to 8 hour
November 18 2 to 6 hour
December 8 4 to 13 hour
Dua Putri S 030 23’ 05,24”
E 1350 06’16,48”
September 10 3 to 10 hour
October 14 5 to 14 hour
November 12 4 to 12 hour
December 9 1 to 6 hour
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1 2 3 4 5
Cahaya Rifki S 030 23’ 76,33”
E 1350 05’79,50”
September 16 3 to 15 hour
October 19 3 to 10 hour
November 22 4 to 15 hour
December 14 1 to 7 hour
Cahaya Maros S 030 24’ 98,32”
E 1350 05’33,39”
September 21 3 to 12 hour
October 24 2 to 8 hour
November 17 4 to 9 hour
December 11 2 to 14 hour
Total of Apperance 499 1 to 26 hour
Figure 7. Amount of whale shark appearance of eight unit boat life nets
During September to December 2020, the total appearance of whale sharks in Kwatisore
waters is 499 with a length ranging from 3 m to 6 m. The number of appearances ranged from
9 to 24 with a duration ranging from 1 hour to 26 hours. The length of time the whale sharks
stay on the surface of the waters in the boat life nets highly depends on the amount of
anchovy catch and feeds of anchovy by fishermen in boat life nets. The appearance of whale
sharks in Kwatisore waters is supported by suitable and positive bioecological conditions and
the availability of feed resources (Murdani et al., 2018).
The whale sharks that appear in two or three individuals on a boat life nets in Kwatisore waters
to consume anchovy given by fishermen form a queuing pattern, where the large whale sharks
first eat anchovies while the other whale sharks swim around the boat life nets area. After
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some time, the large whale sharks moved around, so the smaller ones rose to replace the big
ones and start consuming, while the big ones swam around the boat life nets. Whale sharks
consume food in a queue pattern so that there is no fighting over food between individualals.
Whale sharks tend to be solitary, but if there is food available in their aggregation area, the
whale sharks tend to congregate (Didi et al., 2015). In Kwatisore waters, whale sharks always
show aggregation at one point, where the appearance of more than one individual (Maulida et
al., 2018). The appearance of whale sharks on the southernmost island of Santa Maria shows
that in 2008 there were 302 appearances (Pedro et al., 2014). The appearance of whale sharks
in Kwatisore waters only in the period from September to December 2020 shows the number
of appearances is more than the appearance in the southernmost island of Santa Maria.
Population Characteristic of Whale Shark. The characteristics of the whale shark
population that appear on the surface of Kwatisore waters show that it is dominated by male.
The appearance of whale sharks during the period of September to December 2020 is 100%
male and 0% female. This illustrates that there are more males, while females do not appear
during the period from September to December 2020. Research studies of whale sharks at
Cendrawasih Bay National Park found that the population characteristics of whale sharks are
male, while female sex appears at certain times. Casandra, (2014) explained that the
composition of the whale shark population observed in this national park was 76% were
immature males, with an average size of 4.4 ± 1.3 m, while 24% were females with an
average size of 4 m. In 2015, the appearance of whale sharks was dominated by male and
immature whale sharks as much as 83% (lpsplsorong, 2020). In Ningaloo reef waters in
Western Australia from 1995 to 1997, out of 325 whale sharks that appeared, 84.6% were
male (Norman & Stevens, 2007). The majority of whale sharks found in tourist activities in
Mozambique are male (74%) (Haskell et al., 2015).
The size of the whale sharks that appeared during the study period, ranged from 3 to 6 m. the
individuals sizes of 3.5 m are less than sizes of 5 m and 6 m. In general, the appearance of
long whale sharks that are dominated by small sizes indicates that Kwatisore waters are a
nurturing area for whale sharks.
The Relationship between the appearance of whale sharks and time. The appearance of
whale sharks every day is closely related to the time to consume anchovies in the boat life
nets. In general, whale sharks appear more frequently in the morning than in the afternoon
and evening. It is related to feeding time of this whale sharks. The total number of whale
sharks based on appearance time can be seen in Table 2.
Table 2. Amount of whale shark appearance based on time
Months Appearance Time
Morning Afternoon Evening
September 98 8 15
October 103 5 20
November 122 6 13
December 78 12 19
Total 401 31 67
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Figure 8. Amount of whale shark appearance on morning, afternoon, and evening
The results of the chi-square statistical test to determine the relationship between the
presence of whale sharks in the month of observation, namely September, October, November
and December and the time of appearance in the morning, afternoon and evening showed that
χ2 count was 7.69 while χ2 table was at the confidence level. 0.99 is 16.8. Statistically, it
shows that there is no significant relationship between the month of observation and the
appearance of whale sharks in the morning, afternoon and evening. This illustrates that the
appearance of whale sharks to the surface of the waters does not follow a certain month but
the appearance of whale sharks can occur every month in the morning, afternoon or evening.
Identified individuals and pppearance of new individuals. Kwatisore waters have unique
specifications because the number of individual of whale sharks over time indicates the
increase of new individuals. (Toha et al., 2019) explained that from 2011 to August 2018 the
total identified individual of whale sharks in Kwatisore waters were 179 individuals. Meanwhile,
the monitoring results of the National Park Management Region 1 in Nabire reported that in
September 2020 a new individual was found with ID number 181 and named Ben Saroy. This
shows that every year there is an addition of new individuals. The addition of a new individual
of whale shark in Kwatisore waters is an important phenomenon that gives meaning in
maintaining and managing the Cendrawasih Bay National Park area. The whale sharks
identified in Kwatisore waters come from one species, namely Rhincodon typus, where
Rhincodon typus in Kwatisore waters has a genetic relationship with Rhincodon typus in the
Indo-Pacific (Toha et al., 2018). In the Indian Ocean, it was reported by 20 organizations that
16 whale shark individuals came from 11 countries (Rowat, 2007).
During research from September to December 2020, the total number of whale shark
occurrences was 499 appearances with male types, whereas of these 499 appearances
consisted of 15 individuals’ size of 3 - 6 m in length, with a duration spent around the boat life
nets area ranging from 1 up to 26 hours. Based on body size, the whale sharks that emerge to
the surface of Kwatisore's waters are classified as young stage. The appearance of the Whale
sharks’ size classified as the young stage category indicates that Kwatisore waters are a
nurturing site. The body length of the whale shark is categorized as adult male is 7-8 m and
adult female is > 10 m, while the immature category is ≤ 2.99 m, the young stage category is
at 3.90 - 5.40 m and the adult category is 8.05 - 10.26 m (Joung, et al., 1996; Compagno,
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2001). Female whale sharks in size of 3.40 - 7.60 are categorized as females who have not yet
entered sexual maturity, while females reach adulthood at a size of about 12 m (Murdani et
al., 2018).
The length of time the whale sharks stay in the boat life nets area is very much determined by
the catch of anchovies and the activity of fishermen in providing anchovies to the whale
sharks. This illustrates that some whale sharks have site fidelity to Cendrawasih Bay National
Park waters in general and Kwatisore waters in particular (Toha et al., 2018). Research in the
reef waters of Ningaloo in Western Australia in 1995, showed sharks ranged from 3 to 12 m
and an average of 7 m, whereas in 1997 it was 2 - 13 m with an average length of 7.2 m and
1997 was around between 4.5 - 12 m with an average length of 7.6 m (Norman & Stevens,
2007).
The total number of whale shark occurrences continuously showed that 15 individuals were
identified by their ID numbers as in Table 3 A, while 2 individuals were newbie who had not
been identified so far as in Table 3 B.
Table 3. Images based on photos (IMG) of whale sharks in the left and right positions,
identification results (WS ID), sex and description of the length and condition of the whale
sharks.
A Identified Individual
No. Image Left/Righ
t
ID WS Sex Description
1. IMG 0577
IMG 0582
L
R
ID 143 Male Length 4,5 m; flawless and no scars
found
2. IMG 0590
IMG 0592
L
R
ID 176 Male Length 5 m; flawless and no scars
found
3. IMG 0596
IMG 0602
L
R
ID 181 Male Length 4 m; no scars found
4. IMG 0616
IMG 0620
L
R
ID 135 Male Length 5 m; no scars found
5. IMG 0627
IMG 0630
L
R
ID 039 Male Male 6 m long; there is a tag mark on
the dorsal fin
6. IMG 0643
IMG 0648
L
R
ID 179 Male
Male 5 m long; no scar or injuries were
found
7. IMG 0670
IMG 0678
L
R
ID 047 Male
Male 5.5 m long; there is a mark on the
dorsal fin and it always appears
8. IMG 0697
IMG 0703
L
R
ID 138 Male
Male 3 m long; the left pectoral fin has a
small wound
9. IMG 0716
IMG 0719
L
R
ID 174 Male
Male 3.5 m long; there is a cut scar near
the left eye
10. IMG 0996
IMG 998
L
R
ID 140 Male
Male 5 m long; no injuries or scars were
found
11. IMG 1009
IMG 1018
L
R
ID 136 Male
Male 5 m long; This individual was
named Sumar
12. IMG 1021
IMG 1031
L
R
ID 159 Male
Male 4 m long; this individual was
named Yalgal
13. IMG 1057
IMG 1061
L
R
ID 013 Male
Male 4 m long; This individual was
named Djati
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B New Individual
No. Image Left/Righ
t
ID WS Sex Description
1. IMG 0680
IMG 0684
L
R
ID 182 Male Estimate 5 m length; New Individual
named YAN MARUANAYA
2. IMG 0689
IMG 0690
L
R
ID 183 Male Estimate 5 m length; New Individual
named BRAM MARUANAYA
The process of determining the individual is carried out through the location of the white dots
pattern on the back of the 5th gill cover to the base of the back of the pectoral fin, which is
then identified using the I3Sv2 software. Especially for two new individuals, the Photo ID in the
field in the left and right positions is shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9. Photo IDs of two new individuals of whale sharks
Based on the Photo ID in Figure 7 above, it can be made as the basis for further analysis using
the I3Sv.2 program. The results of the analysis show that the two individuals are newbie
because the patterns of spots are different from the patterns of spots that have been
previously identified. The results of the analysis using the I3Sv.2 program for two new
individuals are shown in Figures 8.a and 8.b.
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Figure 10. Individualals identified as new individualals and named Yan Maruanaya (a) and
Bram Maruanaya (b).
The presence of new individuals of satisfied sharks in Kwatisore waters was
documented on November 17, 2020. The presence of new individuals indicates an in-migration
of whale sharks from other areas to Kwatisore waters. It makes Kwatisore's waters the only
waters in Indonesia that are rich in individual of whale sharks. Accumulation of all identified
whale sharks in Kwatisore waters according to Table 4.
Table 4. Number of identified whale shark in Kwatisore waters and Cendrawasih Bay
National Park area.
No Number Source Description
1. 179 individuals (Toha et al., 2019) From 2011 to August 2018
2. 1 new
individual
A new individual Report
on the Management of I
Nabire Region of National
Park (unpublished)
Monitoring in September 2020
and a new individual named Ben
Saroy
3. 2 new
individuals
Result of the research Photo ID dated 15 - 17 October
2020;
ID 182 was named Yan
Maruanaya;
ID 183 is given the name Bram
Maruanaya
Total 182 individual
CONCLUSION
There are 499 whale sharks that appear during September to December 2020 in Kwatisore
waters with a body length of 3-6 m and duration of appearance about 1 to 26 hours. The
duration of the whale sharks’ survival time in boat life nets is mainly determined by the
number of the anchovy stored in the net container and the feeding activities of the whale
sharks by the fishermen. The appearance of whale sharks is dominated by male individual. A
total of 499 whale shark appearances consisted of 15 individuals, of which 13 individuals were
identified while the other 2 were new individuals. The new individuals are named Yan
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Maruanaya for ID 182 and Bram Maruanaya for ID 183. The addition of new individuals is a
form of migration into Kwatisore waters.
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